A group of non-governmental organisations operating in Azerbaijan has condemned reactions in Armenia to a recent visit by diplomats accredited to Azerbaijan to Karabakh and East Zangezur, calling them an interference in Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and an obstacle to the normalisation of relations between Baku and Yerevan.
The Azerbaijani civil society representatives said the campaign surrounding the diplomatic visit undermined efforts to advance the peace process, Caliber.Az reports.
“We—representatives of Azerbaijan’s civil society—strongly condemn the reaction of various circles in Armenia to the recent visit by the diplomatic corps accredited to Azerbaijan to liberated Karabakh and East Zangezur!” the statement said.
The NGOs described the Armenian reaction as “an encroachment on our country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and accused unnamed groups of interfering in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs and promoting irredentist views.
They argued that such actions, which were coordinated from a single centre, could undermine the peace agenda pursued by Baku and Yerevan and “constitute an open provocation aimed at derailing the process of normalising relations.”
The statement also criticised discussions in Armenia over the historical and cultural heritage of the region, particularly the Ganjasar Monastery.
The NGO representatives referred to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s citing of a conclusion by the Matenadaran Institute concerning the monastery’s origins.
“But who gave the Matenadaran Institute the right to determine the origin of a monument located on the sovereign territory of another country?” they asked.
The statement accused Armenian institutions and groups of seeking to deny or distort Azerbaijani history and culture, including the Azerbaijani heritage of Caucasian Albania.
“Aren’t you tired of falsified history, the disease of national exceptionalism, and hostility?” the NGOs said.
They also questioned renewed activity by remnants of the separatist administration that announced its dissolution in September 2023, noting that they had sent letters to diplomatic missions and international organisations.
The Azerbaijani NGOs called on the Armenian government to demonstrate its stated commitment to peace by curbing hostile and irredentist activity.
“If the Armenian government is truly committed to a peaceful agenda with Azerbaijan, it must put an end to this hysteria and hostility and hold accountable individuals and organisations that promote irredentist ideas against Azerbaijan,” the statement said.
By Sabina Mammadli
